To steal a demon's heart
by Kiyamvir
Summary: Every human has a dark, disgusting side, which he doesn't expose to the world. Gaara has one too - and when a mysterious girl from the Hidden Mist Village with a terrifying kekkei genkai discovers his dark side, he finds himself immensely drawn to her. A dark romance spawns from this attraction, forcing Gaara to look deep into his soul for answers. Gaara/OC


_Make me die._

The sound of dripping blood was making her crazy. Three years. Three years she spent here, in the darkness of this cage, clawing at her own skin. There was nothing left for her in this world. She heard about shinobi who had demons sealed inside them. They said that these people were rejected by the world, forced to live in solitude, unable to lead happy lives.

_I have no demon sealed inside me, so why must I suffer the same fate?_

The voice in her head answered, "Because _you are_ a demon." She smiled the smile of a madman, digging her nails deeper into the wounds in her body. She wanted to get out of this cage badly, but she knew how such an attempt would end. Once in the past she tried to tear out of the Hidden Mist Village by force, but they managed to catch her, bind her, and put her back in her prison again. Her freedom was even further restricted after this incident, and the entire village hated her, despised her, wanted her to disappear.

But they wouldn't kill her, because she was a weapon… And an extremely effective one, too.

Suddenly, the heavy door opened. Her cage was in fact a small room, with walls secured by a special type of metal that blocked out her abilities. The only source of dim light was a small, rectangular window at the top of the back wall. They wouldn't even give her a proper bed – just some covers to keep her warm enough. The life she led was miserable, but it was the only one she had, and the only one she knew. _Are they going to kill me? Are they? Are they finally going free me from this fate…?_

Deep within her heart, she knew that they wouldn't. Even when locked inside this damn, sunless prison, she heard about the fourth shinobi war. It started recently, and the Alliance was preparing to meet its opponent. They would need all shinobi that they could get – and _she_ could prove very useful.

She heard people talking outside the door. She recognised the voices – they were her guards, the ones that treated her like trash. She bared her teeth for a moment, but decided to stay passive for once. After all, there was a chance that she could free herself once they take her outside… And she wasn't going to miss that chance. So she listened, trying to make out the words.

"… be careful inside there, though. Her abilities are too dangerous… it's a surprise that the Mizukage wants to let her go outside at all…"

Her eyes opened widely, and a wild smile appeared on her face. So they are going to let her out after all…!

She calmed down, trying to look as innocent as possible. She will play along, for now. She will make them let down their guard, and…

_Wait a minute_. The first man came inside, and he was carrying something – something long, and heavy…

_Chains!_

She gasped, suddenly feeling disappointed. How will she escape in these chains_…? The Mizukage is a clever woman after all._ She bit her lip. Her escape will have to wait for now.

* * *

Gaara looked outside the window. It was a pretty hot day – he wondered if his guests from the Hidden Mist will find that a problem. They would come any minute now. The Mizukage sent him a letter beforehand, telling him to prepare mentally for what he was about to face. He walked up to his desk and looked at the letter once more.

"_I entrust you with this charge, because I believe that you could do something about her attitude. The girl is a monster inside out, worse than a demon – please, be careful when dealing with her. I hope that it won't be too much of a problem for you._

_Sincerely,_

_The Mizukage of the Hidden Mist Village"_

He squinted, looking at the piece of paper with disgust. _A monster… These people are still too ignorant. _Not so long ago, he was being called a monster as well, by the very people of his village. They couldn't understand what it was like to have a demon inside, to be rejected and hunted at every step. Living by hate, it was all he knew – and he wanted to confirm his existence by murdering other people.

And yet, he learned to trust and be trusted from another Jinjuriki like himself – Naruto Uzumaki, who brought light and friendship into his life. He became Gaara's first friend, and was the reason why he decided to become the Kazekage of the Sand Village. Gaara managed to get the villagers' trust and respect – something that he wanted to live up to. And now, he was going to face a girl who probably lived the same way that he did, treated like an abomination her entire life. He decided that he would do his best to take a good care of this girl and show her that not all people despise her. He was still in the Hidden Sand Village after all, and the preparations for the war were still being made. There were at least a couple of days before he will have to leave the village and stand before the army as its commander.

Suddenly, the door opened, and Kankuro came in, interrupting Gaara's contemplations. "Sorry to disturb you, but the shinobi from the Hidden Mist Village have just arrived. They want you to have a look at that girl yourself."

Gaara nodded in response. "Let them in." Kankuro went back through the door. After a few minutes, he came back, opening the door wider to let the guests in. Gaara heard a loud, metallic noise – was that the sound of… _chains_? He frowned, when he found out that his suspicions were right.

Two Hidden Mist shinobi came in, holding the ends of the chains in their hands. Right behind them, was a girl, shuffling slowly, as if against her will. There was, indeed, something demonic about her – like a fallen angel, beautiful but deadly. Her face had soft features and smooth, milky skin. Full, rosy lips were twisted in a maniacal smile. Her eyes were closed, framed by long, thick lashes, partly covered by the bangs of her long, wavy hair in the colour of ash blonde. Gaara noticed that she was unhealthily thin – the light, white dress that she was wearing showed off her jutting collarbone, wrists and elbows.

They forced her into the room, and she stood before him, unnaturally calm and… cold. He stepped closer, and was about to ask the guards to remove the chains…

… and then, she opened her eyes. Huge, ice-blue eyes, with darker inner and outer rings. Piercing right through his soul, tearing into his mind.

It was like falling into an endless abyss, filled with screams, suffering and the lack of hope; he saw blood-stained hands reaching out towards him, grabbing his body and pulling him deeper into the darkness. It was as if his worst nightmares took a physical shape and were now hunting him down, exposing his insecurities and driving him into madness. He saw before his eyes the bodies of all the people he killed, begging him for mercy, hating him for not showing it. He was once more a little boy, scared and excluded from society, branded as a monster and misunderstood. Faces of the villagers appeared before him, twisted with hate and disgust. He was a demon, a blood-thirsty beast, unable to feel love and forced to live a lonely life. He felt all life and hope being drained from him, and he had no strength to resist. All his attempts to bring back happy memories, involving his friends, his siblings, his title of Kazekage – it was as if they never existed, and were part of some desperate dream, the only thing that kept him sane.

Suddenly, the horrific images stopped. He opened his eyes, and found himself kneeling on the floor, breathing heavily. His face felt wet – there were two tears on his face, which streamed down as he travelled through the darkest corners of his mentality.

"Disgusting, isn't it?"

He looked up, only to see the girl also kneeling down, with some sort of a metal blindfold on her eyes. There was a strange smirk on her face – ironic, and at the same time, sad. The two guards were holding her down tight, and she didn't oppose. Indifference literally radiated from her.

"All of human beings have this disgusting, dark side of their souls, the one that never sees the light of the day. The one that they try to hide by all means possible, scared that someone would discover their fears. Humans are such pathetic, weak species, destroying what they fear, what they don't understand. Shaping the world so it fits them, ignorant of the suffering caused by their egoism. And I hate how I am forced to live in this world that's lost in war, hate and lack of understanding. But they wouldn't let me die. They keep me alive so that I can serve as their weapon for bringing pain and misery onto others."

Gaara listened intently to that speech, feeling an inner turmoil in his soul. It was as if that girl spoke his thoughts – every word seemed taken straight out of his mind. He felt the same about this world, the wars, and the shinobi who gave up their lives without a second of thought.

He lifted himself to a standing position. "I understand. I feel the same way about this war. But the title of Kazekage binds me to this fate – the fate that says that I must protect this village. You are not the only one who lived in this painful solitude. I was a Jinjuriki once, a vessel for a demon, and was branded a monster. Yet one person managed to change my life, and showed me the bright side of this world. My enemy cried for me, and saved me from the darkness that was devouring me. Do not despair; I will not treat you as a weapon, since I've been treated like a weapon myself. I want you to help us, to use your abilities so we can fight the enemy that threatens the whole world. It is not about pride or selfish ambitions anymore; it's about survival and preservation of truth and justice."

She raised her head. A slight smile appeared on her face, and it was not sarcastic anymore. The two guardsmen watched in awe, as she stood up to face Gaara. Despite the blindfold, she seemed to be able to see him with her mind, sensing where he was. She walked closer to him, and they were inches away from each other now.

"I know not what you speak of, but it sounds beautiful; such a pure, passionate heart, unlike any that I've seen before. I will help you – but on one condition."

Gaara nodded. "What condition is that?"

The response that followed caught him off guard completely.

"I wish to spend the night with you."


End file.
